“I found it!”
It’s been almost ten days since I set foot on Chinese soil.
Finally, I discovered the Lake of Mana that I had been searching for so desperately.
“The location… it stands out more than I expected.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, I observed my surroundings.
The dungeon was situated halfway up a cliff that could easily be described as a right angle.
There was a hole in the middle of the cliff, like a cave, but as I ventured inside, the fog was so thick that I couldn’t see in front of me.
I casually waved my hand to stir the mist. The dreamlike fog swirled and scattered at my gesture.
“Ooh…”
A cool and clear sensation washed over me, making my body tremble as if I had plunged my hand into icy water.
I stepped deeper into the fog.
My body was engulfed by the mist. The sensations I felt in my arms expanded throughout my entire body.
Breathing became easier, and it felt like my chest was clearing.
A smile involuntarily crept onto my face as I felt the fatigue of the past few days fade away.
“The purity of the mana is high.”
This mist is made of mana.
It’s not just any mana; it’s a mist formed from very high-purity mana.
It’s a stark contrast to the muddled mana I felt from the outside.
The mist was seeping out from deep within the cave.
As I moved further inside, the mist thickened.
At some point, I stopped walking.
When I reached out and knocked in the air, I felt a solid, transparent wall.
It was the barrier of the dungeon, blocking outside intrusions.
“Thank goodness. At least I’ve discovered it…”
I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh of relief.
China is incredibly vast.
Finding the entrance to one dungeon among this expanse is no small feat.
It might be possible if I used my power of observation, but could I really do that during my break? Honestly, I was a bit anxious.
I hadn’t just been wandering around non-stop either; I had distracted myself along the way.
Dealing with various lowlives, including the Death Cult, cleaning up abandoned monsters, and conducting simple relief activities…
I had been alternating between areas where people didn’t live—where monsters ate humans—and areas where humans resided.
My route had definitely multiplied several times over. Honestly, I was worried it would take too long.
Would it end up being fruitless like the last time at Shipnah? I had my concerns, but luckily, I found it early.
“I’m lucky.”
Finally, I said it.
I chuckled to myself and gave the barrier a few light taps.
I should have been as lucky last time at Shipnah…
Honestly, my luck had been terrible there. It wasn’t just a lack of luck; it was a trip filled with misfortune.
Nothing went right, and I had to cross the Samdo River through all sorts of calamities.
It felt like the world had it out for me.
“Regret won’t change anything.”
Of course, venting my frustrations now wouldn’t make any difference. Maybe I should bow to the heavens in gratitude for finally finding it easily this time.
With such idle thoughts, I continued to knock on the barrier.
Dungeons are, by nature, a separate space divided from Earth, and the wall divides the dungeon from Earth.
Moreover, between barriers… in short, there’s an entrance to the dungeon.
Typically, entrances manifest as swirling forms, identical to those at gate terminals.
If you throw yourself there, you’ll traverse a winding path and cross over to the other side.
The thing I was knocking on now was a barrier, not an entrance.
There was no swirling form in sight; instead, a transparent barrier blocked me, hiding the inside from view.
But strictly speaking, it was indeed an entrance.
“The Lake of Mana’s entrance is really a hassle.”
Dungeons come in various types, and the Lake of Mana has a stringent entry requirement.
There are entrances to the Lake of Mana somewhere in this vast Chinese land.
According to the original story, there should be a few entrances, but even if you find one, most will be closed.
These entrances open randomly depending on the time.
It could be closed after all that effort to find it or it could be open.
I searched through the original work but couldn’t find any specific conditions. They just open and close at random.
And there’s no preparation needed.
In truth, the only condition is sheer luck.
So, if you really want to get in, you either have to camp at the entrance until it opens or smash through the barrier.
“But if I smash it, all the mana will be scattered.”
The sole use for the Lake of Mana is just that.
It’s packed with high-purity mana, invaluable for raising mana stats.
However, if you break the dungeon’s barrier containing the mana, the pristine mana inside will all mix with the random mana.
Because of that, to enter the Lake of Mana, you have no choice but to spend your time waiting for the entrance to open or rely on luck.
Of course…
“I’m no different now.”
I focused my mind.
I placed my hand on the barrier, absorbing the sensations that flowed from my fingertips.
The dungeon belongs to Earth yet exists in a partitioned space apart from Earth.
The barrier is a wall separating those spaces.
“Manifest, power of space.”
I can intervene with space.
– Vwoom…
My arm vibrated.
As a result, the surrounding space trembled.
It spread like a ripple in a calm lake after throwing a stone.
“I don’t need to break it. There’s no need to exert myself to tear it apart.”
It’s not about destruction or cutting.
Just a little modification.
Letting the barrier, which blocks external things, accept a brief moment of my presence.
The dungeon’s barrier.
I modified a part of the barrier right in front of me.
The sensation conveyed from my palm changed. The solid barrier gradually became as gooey as slime.
– Swoosh…
The hand resting on the barrier slowly sunk in.
“Got it.”
Success. It didn’t consume much of my mental energy. I squished myself into the barrier.
And eventually, the barrier swallowed my body with a squelch.
The peculiar sense of disorientation that comes with crossing spaces enveloped me.
…
…
…
– Swoosh…
As the dazed sensation receded, the sound of a waterfall filled my ears. Just the sound felt refreshing enough to wash my mind clean.
My senses returned.
Calmly, I began to survey my surroundings.
“Ooh…”
The observation pulled in all the information around me.
I gasped, marveling at what I saw.
True to its name, there was a lake nearby.
At one edge of this lake was a tranquil waterfall that fell like a stream of water.
The lake glimmered like it had stars sprinkled on it, with vibrant yellow leaves floating on top.
Surrounding the lake was an expansive carpet of lush green grass.
Gray, massive rocks were placed between the patches of grass.
A tree with yellow leaves, which didn’t grow straight but twisted and bent, thrived nearby.
The thick fog spread across the dungeon, seemingly originating from the waterfall, centering around the lake…
A breathtaking scene unfolded before my eyes.
I had seen many dreamlike places before, but nothing was so overtly fantastical as this.
It felt like a scene right out of a painting.
If one were to skim the internet, they’d likely find images of a dreamy lake like this.
It was beautiful enough to be compared to that.
“Hmm…”
Hypnotized, I approached the lake.
As I neared the lake’s edge, waves lapped towards me.
I removed the mask that covered my face.
The cool breeze hit my face all at once.
– Huh…
Breathing was easy here, far beyond what I felt at the entrance of the dungeon.
The air I inhaled felt sweet. Although I couldn’t truly taste sweetness, the air was so clean and the purity of the mana exceeded my expectations.
“I’ve come to the right place.”
There was no doubt about it.
This was indeed the Lake of Mana.
“And monsters… there are none.”
Still feeling somewhat anxious, I scrutinized the area. I feared that lurking threats might hide among the beauty, but thankfully, there were no monsters.
Moreover, there were no traps. After confirming that, I opened the entrance to the space behind me.
“Come forth.”
The space behind me cracked open.
From the split on either side, five colorful spirits sprang out.
These were the lesser spirits I had contracted. Since I had contracts with spirits of all five elements, their colors were fixed.
Although they weren’t fully aware of themselves yet, they seemed to enjoy this space, trembling with excitement as they spread out.
After all, spirits love pure mana too.
Yet there were a few light beings that didn’t drift far away, hovering near me.
“It’s okay. You can play too.”
– Vwoom…
After I petted a few that clung to my body, they seemed satisfied and followed the ones that had already ventured off.
For being mere light beings, they had their own cute quirks.
I smiled as I took a moment to observe the lake.
True to its name, the water in the Lake of Mana was the essence of its existence.
It held an abundance of high-purity mana.
Due to the copious high-purity mana, this lake was precisely the environment I needed to boost my mana capacity, which was quite challenging for me.
“…I should be fine.”
No traps were in sight, no threats of blades shooting out to pierce my body.
Nodding to myself, I removed the robe I wore.
I took off the gear worn beneath the dark robe and emptied the various spatial pouches hanging from my belt, placing them atop a nearby rock by the lake.
I also removed the arm guards covering my right arm. Though exposing my burn scars felt unsettling, I had no choice if I wanted to absorb mana properly.
But I kept the Wings of the Sky on.
The Wings of the Sky were artifacts that performed better when filled with pure mana.
Though they can’t compare to my mana, they have a greater capacity, so there’s no harm in loading them up with mana.
For some reason, the wings kept changing to fit around me like a garment as I proceeded forward.
Once I shed all my clothing, the mist felt as if it were gently tapping my body.
“The air is relatively warm; thank goodness.”
I sighed in relief and carefully dipped my toes into the lake.
With the tip of my toes, ripples spread across the surface of the lake. The yellow leaves floating on the water trembled at the disturbance.
Fortunately, the lake water was lukewarm.
Pure mana seeped through my skin.
“Whoa…”
Suddenly, my body shuddered.
The warm and cool energy felt like it was seeping into my body through my skin.
Even though I trembled at that weird sensation, I kept moving forward and submerged myself in the lake.
The depth was considerable, allowing me to sit and only leave my head poking out.
With my body soaked in the lake water and my head shrouded in fog, I certainly must have looked amusing.
– Phew…
In that state, I exhaled deeply and inhaled again. The cool air, rich in pure mana, filled my lungs.
Mana was being drawn in through the lake water that enveloped me.
“Mana affinity.”
I pulled it in even more.
I wasn’t exactly relaxed.
Not satisfied with natural absorption, I relied on my unique ability to attract and absorb even more mana.
The absorbed mana flowed through the circuits and reached my core.
My core thumped loudly. After a few beats, I felt it expand, and a smile involuntarily emerged.
The core, which had seen little growth lately, was showing signs of development.
“I need to stay here and soak up the mana for a few days.”
I planned to return later, but since I had come all this way, I might as well take full advantage of it.
“The proof of the guardian… should take a few days to manifest. For now, I’ll remain here.”
Thinking so, I intensified my focus, pulling in more mana.
A new ripple emanated from me.
I felt a slight tickle on my body.
*
“…I might have to postpone the plan.”
Kyowon, the leader of the Death Cult, grimaced as he confirmed the continuous loss of contact.
Branches that had been embedded across China, supplying sacrifices, were being obliterated at lightning speed.
How many have fallen in the last week? It must be close to a hundred.
If this keeps up, there won’t be enough sacrifices for a proper ritual.
The culprit was clear.
The forces of Taesan that had unexpectedly invaded this land were demolishing various criminal organizations.
In the process, the Death Cult’s branches were also getting wrecked.
They were being crushed in different parts altogether.
One of those divisions was going utterly berserk, destroying branches as if it were insane.
By himself, he had already accounted for half of the branches that had fallen.
“The locations have been exposed. Which low-life…!”
Questions arose. No matter how internal the personnel were, no one should know the locations of that many branches.
But that wasn’t important right now.
Kyowon gritted his teeth. He was at risk of having the grand plan he had been preparing for over a decade delayed.
With sacrifices becoming difficult to procure, he could not proceed with the dual-headed dragon’s necromantic ritual.
Should he active remaining branches to secure sacrifices?
No, if he did that, he would be caught by the Association again.
Last time, he barely escaped. If caught again, the hunters from the Association wouldn’t miss this chance, based on past intel.
“Damn it…”
Kyowon ground his teeth. Again, last time the Association had invaded, and now the crazies from Taesan were coming in to thwart his plans.
It was a frustrating reality. His anger boiled, but the cold reality remained.
All he could do was yield what must be yielded and keep what must be kept while keeping his head down.
“…Yeah, I’ve waited over ten years already.”
What’s a few more years more to wait? If he could endure a few years and hunker down, the bastards would eventually tire out and leave.
He could carry out his plans once more then.
Kyowon made that resolution.
─Execute the plan.
“……!”
At that moment, an indomitable will pierced his soul, and Kyowon opened his eyes wide. Without hesitation, he knelt down and pressed his forehead to the ground.
– Bang!
“Great, Almighty One…!”
His voice trembled with emotion and reverence. He closed his eyes and lowered his head into the dirt.
Even so, Kyowon felt the gaze watching him.
Like a mighty and vast eye pointing toward the heavens.
Yellow eyes with vertically-slit pupils.
The difference in status that could not be described there.
“I aim to conduct the ritual…!”
It would be dangerous to conduct the ritual now. He would be caught by the Association and sacrifice important bones to the crazies from Taesan who were currently ripping and shredding.
It didn’t matter. It was the command of the God he worshiped. Even if he had to give up flesh, it didn’t matter. The God surely had plans far beyond what he could comprehend.
With his forehead still pressed to the ground, tears streamed down Kyowon’s face as he felt the weight of the divine.
– …….
The great eye looked down on him with indifference.
As if surveying something worthless.
After a while, that eye casually turned, meeting the glares from others at a similar height.
The gaze was filled with explicit hostility.
No actions followed.
It was like watching a beast desperately showing teeth, trapped in a cage and unable to escape.
But it was the same on this end.
The restraints had not yet been lifted.
That would happen soon enough, but not just yet.
He closed his eyes.
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